The present invention relates to rotary connectors or slip rings, and more particularly, to a brushless rotary connector or slip ring employing flexprint circuits.
Current methods of transferring signals and power between stationary and moving parts are achieved by three major methods including slip-rings, commutator brushes, and cable wrap assemblies. Each has its problems. The major problems are cost, complexity, weight, and reliability.
A slip ring is designed and fabricated to transfer signals and power from a stationary housing to a revolving object such as a gimbal, or a commutator, or the like. Slip ring technology is about 40 years old and has proven to work well. However, conventional slip rings are labor intensive, are very expensive, and have reliability problems, such as when they experience vibration. Conventional slip rings are available from such manufacturers as Litton and Aeroflex, for example. Conventional slip rings typically employ brushes, springs and ball bearings, which adds to their complexity and cost. At high power levels, the brushes can bum during operation. A typical 24 conductor contact slip-ring connector has 128 parts, including rings, brushes, bearing, wires and housings. Also there is a limited amount of power that is typically transferred by conventional slip ring assemblies.
Conventional commutator brushes are prone to bum-out and, are very heavy and relatively expensive. The majority of component failures of commutator brushes are due to the weaknesses in the brushes. Conventional cable wrap assemblies provide for limited distance and rotation. They are relatively heavy and large devices. They are also relatively expensive due to labor intensive fabrication operations. They also have a relatively short life span due to wear and tear of the cable. They experience a relatively high failure rate due to mishandling and alignment problems.
Therefore, it is an objective of the present invention to provide for an improved brushless rotary connector or slip ring employing flexprint circuits.